Mass Torts Update - Friday, December 5, 2008 11:28 - 0 Comments

Pain drugs double risk of second heart attack and death in study

A Danish study, released last month, found that heart attack and heart failure patients have a higher risk of a second heart attack or death if they take painkillers, including Celebrex and the generic drug ibuprofen. The risk doubled within the first 90 days on the painkillers Celebrex or Vioxx in those who had survived a heart attack or heart failure, compared with those who didn’t take the medications, according to research presented recently at the American Heart Association meeting in New Orleans. Other common painkillers, such as the generics diclofenac and ibuprofen, increased the risk between 2.1 and 1.3 times. I’m sure this study will cause a great deal of concern and debate.

Source: Bloomberg